What is the Antitrust Whistleblower Rewards Program?

The Antitrust Whistleblower Rewards Program provides financial awards to individuals who voluntarily report original information about antitrust crimes to the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Whistleblowers whose tips lead to a successful criminal prosecution resulting in fines or other recoveries of at least $1 million may be eligible to receive an award of 15% to 30% of the total amount collected.

The program is administered jointly by the DOJ Antitrust Division and the U.S. Postal Service and launched in mid-2025. The first award — $1 million — was paid in January 2026 (EBLOCK Corporation).

Antitrust whistleblowing occurs when a covered individual provides original information that assists a Federal Government investigation or proceeding — filed or about to be filed relating to:

• A violation, or a reasonably believed violation, of antitrust laws; or
• A violation, or a reasonably believed violation, of another criminal law committed in connection with a potential antitrust violation or a DOJ investigation of a potential antitrust violation.

A whistleblower does not need to prove that an antitrust violation occurred in their report — only that they reasonably believed a violation had taken place or was occurring. NDAs do not prevent employees from reporting corporate criminal conduct to the DOJ.

• Price Fixing: Competitors agree to raise, fix, or maintain prices, eliminate discounts, or adhere to a minimum price schedule
• Bid Rigging: Competitors pre-determine who will win a contract through bid suppression, complementary (cover) bidding, bid rotation, or illegal subcontracting arrangements
• Market Division/Allocation: Competitors dividing customers, territories, or product markets among themselves to avoid competing
• Related Criminal Conduct: Collusion that also involves mail fraud, wire fraud, or false statements in connection with an antitrust violation

Antitrust violations are serious federal crimes carrying severe penalties:

• Corporations may be fined up to $100 million per violation
• Individuals may face fines up to $1 million and/or up to 10 years in prison
• In cases where gains or losses are substantial, fines may be increased to twice the amount of gain or loss involved
• Convicted parties may be ordered to pay full restitution to all victims for overcharges

Victims may also pursue civil recovery of up to three times the damages suffered

Whistleblowers who provide original information that leads to a successful criminal prosecution may be eligible for a financial award ranging from 15% to 30% of the criminal fines or other recoveries collected, provided the total recovery is at least $1 million.

The Antitrust Division works with its law enforcement partners — the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General — to administer the program and pay rewards.

Whistleblowers are strongly advised to work with an attorney before filing to understand how to best protect their identity and maximize their potential recovery. Get in touch with Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto today for a free case evaluation.

EBLOCK Corporation (2026)

A whistleblower who reported a bid-rigging scheme at EBLOCK Corporation — an online used-vehicle auction platform — received a $1 million reward, the first ever paid under the DOJ’s Antitrust Whistleblower Rewards Program.

The scheme involved employees placing fake bids and sharing confidential bidding information to artificially inflate vehicle prices in an agreement with a competitor, harming car buyers across the country. EBLOCK agreed to pay a $3.28 million criminal fine to resolve the charges.

The case confirmed that whistleblowers who report original information about antitrust crimes may receive awards of 15% to 30% of criminal fines collected, provided the case results in a recovery of at least $1 million.

In addition to the financial rewards available under the Rewards Program, whistleblowers are separately protected from retaliation under the Criminal Antitrust Anti-Retaliation Act (CAARA), signed into law on December 23, 2020.

CAARA prohibits any employer from discharging, demoting, suspending, threatening, harassing, or in any way discriminating against an individual for engaging in the lawful act of whistleblowing. Protection covers employees, contractors, subcontractors, and agents.

Antitrust Retaliation Remedies

Any individual who successfully brings a retaliation action may be entitled to relief necessary to make them whole, which can include:

• Reinstatement with the same seniority status
• Back pay with interest
• Special damages sustained because of the retaliation
• Litigation costs, expert witness fees, and reasonable attorney’s fees

An individual who alleges discharge or other discrimination may file a complaint with the Secretary of Labor within 180 days of the date the violation occurred. They may submit a report themselves or through an attorney.

If the Secretary of Labor has not issued a final decision within 180 days — and the delay is not caused by the claimant’s bad faith — the claimant may escalate to federal district court for a fresh (de novo) review, regardless of the dollar amount involved.

Complaints filed with the Secretary of Labor follow the rules established under 49 U.S.C. § 42121(b), also known as the AIR21 Whistleblower Protection Law. Notification of the complaint must be provided to both the named individual(s) and the employer.

Federal court actions are governed by the same burden-of-proof standards set forth in 49 U.S.C. § 42121(b).

If a party fails to comply with an order issued by the Secretary of Labor, either the Secretary or the claimant may bring a civil enforcement action in the federal district court where the violation occurred.

Ineligibility

An individual is not eligible for protection or awards under either program if they planned, initiated, or attempted a violation of antitrust laws or any other criminal law in connection with the reported conduct, or if they attempted to obstruct a DOJ antitrust investigation.

Kohn, Kohn and Colapinto are fierce allies against the toughest opponents. If you’ve experienced an antitrust violation, contact us today for a free case evaluation.